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Deja Blue: 2002 Volkswagen Passat 1.8T GLS Variant

Oh boy. It’s a Passat, it’s a B5/5.5 generation, and it’s a wagon so automatically you know I’m interested. And, above and beyond that, it’s a whole lot like my car – a 2002 GLS in Ink Blue Pearl, 1.8T and with a 5-speed drivetrain. So, out come the production numbers! For the U.S., Ink Blue is a pretty rare color – in total, 1022 Passats were sold here in that color. 695 of those were sold in 2002. 485 of those were GLS trim, and now we start getting into the rare part. Only 131 were wagons, and only 49 of those were manuals. 38 of those were 1.8T, in 3 different color interior options and 2 different fabrics. The most common was gray cloth, with 14 sold. I have one of the 6 gray leather cars. There were 9 sold with black cloth and a further 5 with black leather. But I was pretty surprised to see the beige option numbers – only 3 sold with cloth and 1 with leather. This, then, is a 1 of 1 car – the sole 2002 Passat 1.8T GLS Variant with Beige leather sold that year:

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 2002 Volkswagen Passat 1.8T GLS Variant on eBay


Year: 2002
Model: Passat 1.8T GLS Variant
Engine: 1.8 liter turbocharged inline-4
Transmission: 5-speed manual
Mileage: 156,743 mi
Price: No Reserve Auction

Here for sale is a really nice 2002 Volkswagen Passat GLS wagon, well cared for, clean car fax, 1.8 Liter 4 cylinder engine runs great, 5 speed manual transmission, clutch was replaced at 126k miles , transmission is good, tilt wheel, cruise control, power moonroof, windows, locks and mirrors, keyless entry system, leather seats (drivers seat is ripped), roof rack, rear defrost and wiper, dual air bags, factory fog lights, 15″ factory alloy wheels with 4 good all season tires, front wheel drive, currently Inspected in Nj until 10/17, has new belt at 92k miles, clean car fax showing 73 service records and an AM/FM stereo cassette and compact disc. Selling with no reserve, this vehicle is a good looking auto that has no rust and runs very well. We are located in New Hope, Pa since 1985 and do our best to describe our vehicles properly. Call at 215-862-9555 with any questions. The price excludes tax, tags and doc fee of $249.50 Good luck with the bidding, you will like this car !!

I know, it doesn’t matter to anyone but me, but hey, it’s kinda neat right? Ink Blue is a lovely color and I think the beige interior is a nice match for the bright tone. The car wears the original GLS “Wellington” alloys and sports reasonable maintenance history. Miles are a bit higher than my car but overall condition appears to be very nice. These 1.8T GLS cars are really a lot of fun to drive and much lighter than the V6 4Motion automatic cars, making them feel a bit like bigger GTis. This one is currently no reserve and seriously cheap – if you’re looking for some dependable and economical but fun practicality, this is a pretty good option!

-Carter

8 Comments

  1. Early8q
    Early8q March 13, 2016

    Are those the correct tail light lenses for 2002? What year did they change to the double dots?

  2. Carter
    Carter March 13, 2016

    Yes, 2002 was the first full year of the B5.5. They’re pretty easily identifiable by all the chrome and the projector headlights too.

  3. Early8q
    Early8q March 13, 2016

    Thanks, you beat me to posting my answering of my own question. I wish I had bought your configuration rather than the ’05 TDI variant. The TDI was a great cruiser, if only the transmission had been manual, and the balance shaft not been a chain drive…. Oh well, I enjoyed it until I chickened out and sold it.

  4. Carter
    Carter March 14, 2016

    I replaced the seat belt buckle today to clear an airbag light, and a few odds and ends are on the docket but this has truly been an enjoyable car to own. Hard to believe it’s 15 in a few months (July 01 production) and I’ve owned it now for almost 4 years. Time flies…

  5. pmichaelg
    pmichaelg March 15, 2016

    @Carter – my ’98 has had a consistent airbag light. How did you trace yours to the seat belt buckle?

  6. Carter
    Carter March 15, 2016

    @pmichaelg – at least with the B5.5, VAGCOM will read a code indicating the seatbelt sensor, which unfortunately means replacement of the entire buckle. The secondary cause for the airbag light is usually the clockspring, which if you’d had a jolt to the wheel at any point can break. Both are common failures, the seatbelt buckle is $75-100 per side (ECS is a pretty good vendor – don’t buy used, because the part is just as likely to fail), the clockspring is $200-$500 depending on source.

  7. pmichaelg
    pmichaelg March 16, 2016

    Thanks Carter – I will look into that.

  8. Mark
    Mark April 25, 2016

    @Carter — I bought a brand new 2001.5 Passat 1.8T GLS Wagon 5 Speed Manual with Gray leather interior from Commonwealth VW in Southern California in April 2001. Can you run the numbers on how rare that car in that year was? I searched all of California for a 1.8T Wagon with manual transmission. There was only two available in the entire state at that time.

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